You Found Me
by blackjaybird
Summary: Inspired by the song "You Found Me" by the Fray Dick tells the story on how he became Nightwing: as sixteen year old boy who suffered from depression found someone in an old apartment complex who changed has been changing his life.


**A/N**: Inspired by the song of the same title by The Fray

This is my spin on the origin story of Nightwing. I was actually crying when I wrote this. I hope you guys appreciate it! PS: My prologue SUCKS! I'll try to work on that next time.

PPS: please review. and yes this has religious hints in it but please give it a chance!

Summary: Dick tells the story on how he became Nightwing: as sixteen year old boy who suffered from depression found someone in an old apartment complex who changed (has been changing) his life.

* * *

**YOU FOUND ME**

**Prologue:**

The original Young Justice Team haven't met up in a long time. Things did change. Wally and Artemis quit the superhero gig. Zatanna and Rocket were now League members. Conner and M'gann broke up. Kaldur was now Black Manta's protegé. Dick became Nightwing. Tonight it was just all about them friends catching up (well except for Kaldur). They were all having dinner at Mount Justice.

"Hey Dick, you never told us the story on how we found you in that old apartment complex two years ago," asked Conner matter of factly.

"And why you became Nightwing," added Rocket

Wally looked at Dick with much concern as if Dick was stabbed. "It's okay Wally. I'm fine talking about it," smiling back at his best friend. "Well..."

* * *

I was sixteen when Bruce decided I had to retire from the Robin; of course, he would not do it without reasons. He was a stern but fair man. It was also the year that my recurring nightmares returned. They never went away just came less frequently. It has also been four years since my parents died and Bruce has taken me in. A few weeks after my nightmares became frequent, became a hindrance in any mission, my grades started dropping, and finally finding out that I was self-harming; Bruce took me to the Wayne family psychiatrist. It was then that I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. I was given pills, therapy; none of them helped. I continued waking up in the middle of the night crying; and on some nights, Bruce, Alfred, or even Wally would find me in my bathroom close to passing out from loss of blood. I was fed up. I was fed up with life and people trying to save me from it. All I wanted was to end my life. One night I snuck out of the Manor. I took nothing but my utility belt and some batarangs (If were to die that night, I would wanted it to be with my own hands. Not by some punk out on the street.). The night seemed quiet. After an hour of walking, I came across an empty apartment complex on the corner of First and Amistad.

I scanned the area seeing if any squatters resided in the building; I was alone. I laid down on the cold floor of the lobby and drifted to sleep. It was about one in the morning that I woke up with a jolt. An old man in all white stood in front of me. I didn't bother reaching for any of my weapons; he seemed posed no threat. His presence was oddly warm and familiar. No lightbulbs, no epiphanies. I knew the who the old man was. I didn't hesitate. "Where've you been?" I started crying heavily.

"Ask anything," the old man softly smiled.

"Where were you? Where were you when my parents died? Where were you when Zucco went on trial? Where were you when the nightmares began? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN EVERYTHING WAS FALLING APART? I spent days, years waiting for you. No calls, no message! Where were you in all the times I needed you most?" my fists balled as I cry even louder. My eyes stared as his, as his with mine.

"You found me."

"Now that I'm here? On the floor?"

"Just a little late. You found me. You found me," he knelt down embracing me. I didn't move, I let him envelope me. I finally felt comfort in a long time. I pulled away and looked at the old man still staring with much love. Tears would not stop, but I muster up the strength to speak to him.

"I lost my parents six years ago. I have been having nightmares. I've been bullied and subjected to mental stresses a child should not go through! I felt alone growing up. I'm mentally and emotionally unstable. Bruce took away Robin from me; now I don't know who I am. I don't know where to go. I'm lost! Insecure!"

"You found me," the man stated once again as if he can't say anything else. He looked at me gently examining my face. His face wasn't hard but I can tell that it was still serious.

I'm almost out of tears as the sun started to shine through the boarded windows. Early morning and the city breaks. The old man took my hands and examined my wrists. The man, holding one hand in each of his, flipped it to show the tops of his... Holes! HOLES ON HIS WRISTS! I gasped to myself. The old man nodded as if he heard my thoughts. He sighed.

"I've been calling; I've been writing. But you never returned any of them. You have some kind of nerve to come. You took everything. Everything." the man stated. He took the words I was not able to speak. All the things that I have harbored everything against him and concisely summarized it. He... He's... He's been there all along! He was there when Bruce took me in. He was there when Zucco was sentenced guilty. When I found out Bruce was Batman, when I became Robin. When I first started the team. My eyes started to fill once again with tears, flowing even heavier than before.

"You found me! You found me!" I finally embraced back the man.

"Just a little late," He returned the embrace much tighter. "Why'd you have to wait to find me?"

I fell asleep again in his warm embrace. When I woke up, I was in my room. Bruce was sitting on a chair next to my bed sleeping. "Dad?" I was able to mutter. He woke up and rushed to envelop me in his wide arms. He was Bruce. Not Batman. He was crying, Batman never cried.

"Richard! Alfred, Dick is awake! Richard..." He could say much more. Alfred appeared in front of the door. They had to explain to me that they found me in an old building. I was lying on the floor bleeding profusely. Bruce said that the team and the rest of the family had to find me. And I used a batarang to cut myself on the wrist which cause me to pass out.

Well, weeks past. I took the prescribed meds the psychiatrists gave me and my cuts started to heal and scar. More importantly, I took care of some things I weren't able to do before*. When we returned to the doctor, he said that I have no longer a hormonal imbalance that it was a miracle to recover and that fast. Soon after we got home, Bruce was re-offering me the Robin mantle. However, I respectfully refused.

"Robin was my past. He was a persona that hid my scars. I have to move on," I smiled at Bruce as he courtly agreed. From that day on I became Nightwing. A bird no longer bound by broken wings. Someone who is no longer defined by his past but who was merely shaped by it.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

In the end, everyone was silent except from the few sobs here and there. Dick only smiled clutching the titanium cross that hung around his neck. With a smile on his face, and confidence in his heart he said:

"I guess you can say: I found God in the corner of First and Amistad."

* * *

*Dick went to church lol if that was vague. He got the whole bat family involved. :D


End file.
